This invention relates to a driving shoe which is also comfortable for running and walking. More particularly, it relates to a novel shoe design that uses a rounded heel and extensive heel and side cushioning to improve the efficiency of the foot""s motion while driving and the natural stride while walking.
The high-performance car racing shoes available do not adequately address two problems facing drivers. First, drivers face intense vibration in the interior of the car. This can lead to foot blistering as the back heel portion and sides of the foot come in contact with inflexible, uncushioned portions of the shoe. This problem is particularly acute around the xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d of the driver""s heel, which is in contact with the vibrating floor of the car. The problem is also present on the sides of the foot, which frequently come in contact with the sides of the shoe, particularly when rapid foot movement between accelerator and brake is necessary. Accordingly, it is particularly desirable in racing driving shoes to have high-quality cushioning in the heel and midsole areas, as well as on the sides of the shoe. Current racing shoes lack this cushioning, with the upper portion of the shoe (the xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d) being bonded or sewn directly to the outsole. The resulting thin shoe frequently causes blistering, wears out very quickly, and subjects the wearer to feeling every stone on the ground through its thin surface when worn outside the car.
A second problem confronting drivers relates to the shape of the heel. Shoes that are currently available have an extended, sharp and laterally-flattened heel that presents problems during driving. When the wearer of such a prior-art shoe sits behind the wheel of a car, with the sole of the shoe resting lightly against the pedals, ready to drive, (xe2x80x9cDriving positionxe2x80x9d), the weight of the legs will be supported only by the sharp edge of the rear segment of the shoe""s heel portion. A driver, however, needs a stable and dynamic base for the ball of the heel from which to initiate and control movements of the foot.
To allow for quick action and maximum control, the base must be shaped so as to facilitate rotation in the transverse and coronal planes, and so as to allow for control of the foot""s rotation in the sagittal plane. The transverse plane is a plane parallel to the ground that divides the body of a human standing upright on a flat foot into an upper and a lower half, not necessarily equal in size. The sagittal and coronal planes are two planes perpendicular to each other and to the transverse plane, the coronal plane dividing a human standing upright on a flat foot into a front and back half, the sagittal plane dividing that same human into two lateral halves. A coronal-oblique plane lies at an oblique angle to the coronal and transverse planes, perpendicular to the sagittal plane, a transverse-oblique plane lies at an oblique angle to the transverse and sagittal planes, perpendicular to the coronal plane, and a sagittal-oblique plane lies at an oblique angle to the sagittal and coronal planes, perpendicular to the transverse plane.
Although described in relation to the ground plane and a particular position of the body in relation to the ground plane, the planes are considered attached to the body. Thus, in Driving position, rotation of the foot in the transverse plane refers to rotation around the axis of the shin to switch from one pedal to a neighboring pedal, from gas pedal to brake, for example, rotation of the foot in the coronal plane refers to any amount of inversion or eversion of the foot that accompanies the foot""s rotation in the transverse plane, and rotation in the sagittal plane refers to flexion of the foot to depress or release a pedal. For example, the shoe of Ellis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,429, discloses a heel extended as in other prior art shoes, and does not follow the natural spherical curvature of the human heel. Cf. ""429 patent, FIG. 6. When down-shifting, the act of xe2x80x9cheeling and toeing,xe2x80x9d or pivoting simultaneously between a car""s accelerator and brake in order to downshift while braking, is difficult since the shape of the shoe does not facilitate the foot""s rotation along the coronal and transverse planes.
Flat heels also present a problem for walking. While walking, the heel of the typical shoe extends beyond the rear of the natural heel of the foot. The shoe""s extended heel acts as a lever when the wearer""s heel contacts the ground, accelerating the step as it enters the pronation phase or xe2x80x9cmidstance period,xe2x80x9d where the foot is level with the ground. This premature pronation results in an unnatural walking style. This unnatural walking style is characterized by the xe2x80x9cslappingxe2x80x9d sound heard when a walker""s forefoot hits the ground. Most of the typical racing shoes and driving moccasins worn by drivers have such pronounced heels, and are particularly ill-suited for the task of everyday walking. Natural stride and comfort are also enhanced by xe2x80x9ctoe springxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94the curvature away from the ground plane from below the metatarsal heads, or xe2x80x9cball of the footxe2x80x9d to the toe. This feature allows a natural roll through the push off phase, or xe2x80x9cpropulsive periodxe2x80x9d of the gait cycle.
Existing shoes also lack the capability to minimize discomfort from vehicle vibrations. The lack of a cushioning element for existing driving shoes and driving moccasins results in the foot being subjected to vibrational stresses when it contacts and moves relative to an inflexible part of the interior of the shoe. Intense vibration and rapid movement of the foot while racing can cause blistering as the back heel portion and sides of the foot come in contact with inflexible, uncushioned portions of the interior of the shoe. In the prior art, separate heel liners were often required to solve this problem.
Such uncushioned shoes are also more likely to result in xe2x80x9coverusexe2x80x9d injuries, subjecting the foot to repeated stresses and impacts where it is not naturally cushioned or protected.
It is thus an object of the invention to facilitate automobile driving through use of a rounded heel and specially contoured sides of a shoe to simplify xe2x80x9cheeling and toeing,xe2x80x9d the process of rocking the right foot on both the brake and gas pedals in order to downshift while braking.
It is another object of the invention to provide a shoe having a substantial amount of cushioning in the heel and side areas, which can be used to reduce foot stress and blistering while driving.
It is another object of the invention to provide a shoe that allows for a natural stride. This is done by approximating the natural shape of the heel through use of a rounded or spherical heel.
According to one aspect of the invention, driving or walking shoes are extensively cushioned in the heel, midsole and sides of the sole in order to prevent discomfort and blistering. The sole of a shoe has a toe region at a distal end of the sole, and a heel region at a proximal end of the sole. The sole of the shoe includes a metatarsal region, corresponding to the metatarsal bone of the foot, positioned substantially between toe and heel regions and along an inner side of the sole, said toe region extending upward from the metatarsal region in order to follow the natural curvature of the foot and to facilitate xe2x80x9ctoe springxe2x80x9d (the natural curvature away from the transverse plane from below the metatarsal heads, or xe2x80x9cball of the footxe2x80x9d to the toe), which enhances natural stride and comfort. The heel of the shoes, which rest on the floor of the car while driving, have a rounded bottom contour to facilitate xe2x80x9cheeling and toeingxe2x80x9d (rocking the right foot on both the brake and gas pedals in order to downshift while braking). The sides of the shoes are also contoured to facilitate this movement.
The rounded heel of the claimed shoe extends the athletic construction cushioning of the midsole up the heel of the shoe to counteract this problem. This extension of cushioning is also present on the sides of the shoes, especially at the forefoot to cushion contact with the sides of the foot well. The shoe also uses wraps (made of rubber, expanded foam, or similar cushioning material) at the heel and on the lateral side of the shoe to provide addition al protection and grip on the pedals and floor. The heel wraps also provide greater durability and grip. The rounded heel not only benefits a driver in a car by providing a cushioned area, instead of an edge at the bottom of a typical heel, it also allows a natural impact and roll into the gait cycle while walking.